The Heineken Cup is just one week away and what better way to build up to it than with two inter-provincial derbies to whet the appetite. Here are three things to look forward to at Ravenhill and the Aviva Stadium this weekend.
By Declan Whooley
Ulster v Connacht
Any inter-pro will generate more interest than normal, but the clash at Ravenhill has suddenly taken on more significance. In what will be the first game at home for Mark Anscombe’s side since the tragic death of Nevin Spence, emotions are bound to be running high. It also marks the first game since Eric Elwood announced he is to leave his post at the end of the season.
Both teams will be keen to put in a big performance with the Heineken Cup campaign beginning next week. Ulster are still unbeaten and crushed Cardiff last week, while confidence is sky high for the men in green after their five-try demolition of Leinster at the Sportsground last Friday night.
Both managers have named strong teams for the clash and Connacht will look to improve on last year’s corresponding fixture where they went down on a scoreline of 22-3.
Fever at the Aviva
Both sides come into this game a little fragile in confidence. Leinster were well and truly demolished at the Sportsground last Friday night, conceding five tries, and they currently have the leakiest defence in the league. With two losses already and the Heineken Cup looming, Joe Schmidt, who today signed a one-year extension to his contract, will look to get back to basics pretty quickly.
Rob Penney has seen a bright start to the season come to a halt after back-to-back defeats to Ulster and the Ospreys. The performance in Ravenhill was enough to come within a whisker of victory, but the defeat at the Liberty Stadium was pretty comprehensive. Ill-discipline, a blunt attack and a retreating scrum will have the Kiwi coach going back to the drawing board.
Munster are without a win in Dublin since 2008 and their only try against Leinster in the capital since then has been a penalty-try, so the need for improvement is obvious if they are to get back to winning ways.
It is not too often Munster and Leinster both fail to score a try on the same weekend, so with a packed house as expected tomorrow night, both sides will look for an upturn in recent performances.
Personal duels for Irish places
With two derbies on view, it is the ideal setting for players to pit their wits against their opposite numbers for the international set-up. Many of the front liners will be on view in the Aviva, but Ravenhill will also see some intriguing battles.
Paul Marshall and Kieran Marmion are two young scrum-halves looking to cement their credentials, while the front row exchanges should be pretty tasty. Brett Wilkinson will look to lay down a marker to Tom Court at loosehead, while newly capped duo Declan Fitzpatrick and Ronan Loughney will battle it out to cement their place as back-up to Mike Ross in the number three jersey.
Connacht prop Ronan Loughney
Brian O’Driscoll will face up to the man looking to take over the coveted 13 jersey, Keith Earls, when BOD eventually decides to call it a day, while Peter O’Mahony gets the chance to impress in the number 8 jersey against the current Irish number 8, with Heaslip captaining the side on his 150th appearance.
The battle at blind-side flanker will also be well worth a look. Dave O’Callaghan has been making huge strides over the past 12 months and received a call-up to the recent Irish training camp and will square up to Leinster’s Mr. Versatility, Kevin McLaughlin.
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